Brazilian players are often complimentary about the Premiership but still sign for clubs in other countries

	Arsenal's Gilberto Silva has been one of the more successful Brazilians in the EPL, particularly in Thierry Henry's absence. AP

By Fernando Duarte, Special to SI.com, World Soccer

The Premiership is one of the biggest leagues in the world on many counts, but not in terms of the number of Brazilian players plying their trade. According to the Brazilian FA's transfer documentation, even Canadian and Bahraini clubs have more Brazilians on their books than there are in England. There are currently only five in the Premiership, for instance.

This scarcity is often a topic for discussion whenever I meet English colleagues. Part of the reason for it is the U.K.'s visa rules, which require players to have appeared a set number of times for their national team. But also, many Brazilians still view England as hostile territory in terms of environment and football. It is usually associated with rain and steak and kidney pies, a combination that would depress even the most courageous Brazilian players.

Countries such as Portugal, Italy, Spain and France have traditionally offered cultural similarities (mainly language and food) to Brazilians, as well as a less shocking difference in climatic conditions. But Germany has also become a popular destination since the mid-1980s. Now the picture is changing rapidly: In 2005 one out of four Brazilian players who moved abroad had what might be termed an exotic or unorthodox destination -- Vietnam, for example, received 16, only four fewer than the total number of Brazilians who have ever tried their luck in England.

Big money is not an issue in those moves. The deplorable financial state of Brazil's domestic game has led many players to go abroad for even quite modest wages and to lower division teams. One of the great attractions is that, unlike in Brazil, even at major clubs, they receive payment on time.

The five Brazilians in the Premiership are Gilberto Silva, Denílson and Júlio Baptista at Arsenal, Fábio Aurélio at Liverpool and Fábio Rochemback at Middlesbrough.

The Gunners are the only English side in which Brazilian players have managed to really thrive or win silverware -- Gilberto and Edu, now at Valencia, have both won league and FA Cup trophies.

Although Arsenal will not win any trophies this season, its Brazilian contingent has had a successful time. Gilberto has arguably been one of the club's top players this season, scoring goals on top of his midfield duties and even deputizing as captain in the absence of Thierry Henry. Young midfielder Denílson looks more and more comfortable with the Premiership pace, and the fact that Arsčne Wenger is reportedly trying to secure Baptista's services on a permanent basis from Real Madrid suggests the striker has convinced.

In contrast, Aurélio has tended to be only a substitute at Liverpool. Up to the end of March, he had made only eight league starts since joining last summer. Rochemback had made only six starts with Boro.

That's the story for most of the Brazilians who go across the Atlantic, but conversely their compatriots' poor record in England helps to explain the reluctance shown by some clubs to sign any more.

It all started in 1987, when Mirandinha joined Newcastle. After a promising first season, he failed to steer the club away from relegation the following term. Even so, he scored 20 goals in 54 league games in all. Since then, there have been more misses than hits, including the pathetic displays of World Cup winners Branco and Roque Júnior for Middlesbrough and Leeds, respectively.

The funniest thing is that a lot of Brazilian players, including the stars, are complimentary about the Premiership. They will talk about the atmosphere at the stadiums, the players' commitment and the quality of the pitches. But when push comes to shove, they choose to go somewhere else. Ronaldinho was hardly willing to join Manchester United in 2003 and actually used the club's interest to get a better deal from Barcelona. Marcos, the goalkeeper who helped Brazil win the 2002 World Cup, had talks with Arsenal around the same time but never really set his heart on coming to London.

Meanwhile, less-renowned compatriots started finding homes at lower-level English clubs. Defender Santos Gaia joined Exeter City in 2002 and even scored in an FA Cup tie against Charlton, although his most famous performance for the Grecians came three years later, in a 0-0 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Nowadays, he plays in the Conference (fifth level) with Stevenage.

Perhaps the floodgates at the top level would open if a high-profile Brazilian moved to the Premiership, even if he were past his prime. Kaká is one player who has spoken more than fondly about the Premiership, but Real Madrid and Barcelona would undoubtedly be in the frame to sign him when he eventually leaves Milan.

In general, Brazilians have a higher regard for the big Spanish clubs than, say, Manchester United or Chelsea, not only because many of Brazil's star players are or have played in La Liga and Serie A but also because games from those leagues have been broadcast regularly for more than a decade in Brazil -- sometimes even on free-to-air channels -- while the Premiership has been shown only intermittently.

English football also faces the old stereotypes about the lack of skills and the use of long balls, something that could be blamed on the insularity of the game in England throughout most of its history. It can be changed, especially with "case studies" such as Henry and Cristiano Ronaldo. Perhaps Brazilians will pay more attention to the English game when there is more trickery and eye-catching goals. Júlio Baptista could help a lot with this by hitting the back of the net as much as he can.

Fernando Duarte is the U.K. correspondent of Brazilian newspaper O Globo.